Summary of Projects

1. SUAN LUANG SCHOOL FOR DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND ORPHANS (FACILITY)

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans (Facility) Repairs to Buildings and Facilities Project

The ceiling and roof has now been fixed on one of the facility buildings and was completed well before the wet season. This building is now used by approx. 200 children for study and will be future accommodation with a new intake of children. Read more

The kitchen is better but still very dirty. Ingrained dirt into the concrete tables after several years of use. We have now tiled the benches and splashbacks and making shelves will be a simple but very affective improvement and make it easier to keep clean. While we have made a good start there is still so much to do. Read more

﻿Progress on repairs to Kitchen and Dining Room

This is the dining room much improved. We still have several tables to do and also cover the stools. The working bee will really help to get this completed. Read more

The kitchen in progress. The tiles are making a huge difference. We need the working bee to paint the kitchen and gurney the floors. Eventually we would like to tile the floors also but we need to fix the cooking area first before that. There is some structural work to do on one of the corners of the building before we can do that. At least the children can keep the food clean now. Read more

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans Water Filtration for drinking

Two filtered water tanks and filters have already been installed at the facility from previous donations including one from Rotary Club of Broadbeach. However, the tanks often run dry as there are over 600 children at the Facility. When the tanks run dry the children have to pay for their own drinking water from their small monthly allowance but more often than not they risk it and drink the non-potable water as they don't have the money.

We also need to provide filters on a regular basis which costs money. Read more

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans Providing Clothes, Blankets, Mattresses and Mosquito Nets

The image above shows some boys in very thin clothing. They admitted they were really cold and had nothing. We have provide the basics but the winter is coming again in Dec. and Jan 2015 so will need more clothes for the new intake Read More

Above is an image of the new dormitory. The picture shows some empty beds – not because they have no occupants - they are empty because the kids have nothing. They keep all their possessions on the bed. Read more

The bigger girls were speaking up for the little girl in pink in the front. They advised she had nothing but the clothes she was wearing and asked for blankets and clothes. We have now provided the necessary clothes and bedding but there will be more with the new intake of children arriving now. We expect another 140 children. Read more.

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans Health Care

These kids had been suffering ailments for up to two years and hadn't been to a doctor. The ailments included coughing up blood, severe anaemia, stomach ailments, urinary ailments, and heavy periods as well as warts and skin infections. The children got dressed up as best they could and we bundled the children into a mini van and took them to the clinic as recommended by Andrew Brown an NGO in Luang Prabang. Some of the children had never been in a car or minivan before and became car sick from the smooth ride. They are more used to Tuk Tuks. With the new intake of children we need to have the children assessed and their ailments attended to sooner rather than later. Read more.

﻿Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans Vegetable Farm Project﻿

Some of the girls from Suan Luang show off their pole beans. The children try to grow their own vegetables to help their food supply. This is all done without any adult support or supervision. The soil is very hard and difficult to hoe but this is all done by hand with broken tools and having to carry water from the river.

We have now fixed the water from the river and the agricultural project is now well under way for the new growing season. Read more.

The children erect bamboo fences to protect the vegetables from animals. All farming is done by hand by the children.

Some of the produce (if enough) is sold to buy other things or swap with the resourceful ventures of other children. From January - June 2014 the children were able to grow 3 crops and these have now been harvested. Planting is occurring now for the new season. Read more

The boys catch small fish to supplement their food. They have to put bamboo poles and sticks into the pond every night to discourage others from fishing there. They have to take them all out again the next afternoon before they can fish there. This is all done after school. Then they have to cook the fish or they will swap some fish for some vegetables. When the photo was taken it was still extremely cold - around 6 degrees Celsius. Read more.

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans - Hygiene Program and Cleaning

There is no hygiene in the facility. Updated 19/11/2015. The children always look clean, they bathe frequently and their hair is always clean and shiny. They understand the importance of personal hygiene but in terms of the facilities, the toilets, the dormitories, the food preparation areas and dining and serving conditions are extremely unhygienic and plain filthy. We have made huge inroads into this area and the kitchin and dining room are having daily supervision and lessons on the importance of Hygiene. The children are attempting to keep the premises clean and now with the new Gravity Feed water system installed - we at least have 24/7 plentiful water. This project is a priority and volunteers who are arriving late 2015 will be rolling up their sleeves to continue our work on this ginormous project. Ongoing volunteers will be guided on priorities in order to get the job done over time and on budget. Read more.

Updated 19/11/2015. Volunteer encourages boys to sweep out the dormitory. The dust was cms thick and the boys had to cover their faces to be able to sweep with a dilapidated broom. No-one has previously taken responsibility - the children have been on their own. We now have funds to provide brooms, rubbish bins etc. It is now a matter of training which is continuing throughout this 3 month period with volunteers in country. Read more.

This was the original food preparation area. Tiles have now been laid to help improve hygiend. Sinks are now installed The new gurney purchased from Thailand made a huge difference. Read more

Tables have years of grime. Volunteers washed the trays, bowls and covers in Jan which made a difference but we are now we have tackled the dining room tables and made a huge (but small) difference. Read more

Suan Luang School for Disadvantaged Children and Orphans - Protein and On-going Food Program

The children are undernourished and have to fend for themselves to provide supplementary food. The facility only has the budget to provide 200 grams of protein per student per month. The children are provided a very small allowance but this has to provide everything. The vegetable farm project has helped with providing fresh vegetables but the children lack protein and have to forage from the surrounding forest and river. This cannot be sustained as there are 600 plus children trying to get food from a small area. Read more

Student prepares some type of freshwater periwinkles which she has brought from a nearby village. This helps supply additional protein. Read more

B-B-Q chilies on a stick. The benefit of chilies is that it reduces your appetite for a while. No protein here but high in vitamin C. Read more

Water bugs are yummy when deep fried and crunchy. However this is not enough to feed many children and food is scarce when you have to share in your dormitory. Read more

On-going Education and Additional Training Project

This is a new project which we are working on. This project has two parts at this stage.

This is for students who have completed his/her final year at the facility at end of the current school year in July. Global Support Association Inc. will be there at the time of the exams and once exams are over children will know if they can attend university which commences in September - November each year. This project is to assist those who have the ability to attend university or college education and to pay for accommodation, food, study supplies and help with Tertiary fees and finances. The cost is US$670 for up to 1 year and will be a once off cost Students are expected to communicate directly with their donors and donors can choose to continue or not for the 2nd year. Children have already been interviewed and Global Support Association Inc donors hopes that it can sponsor several children through our donors. This year we are already sponsoring 12 children for the current year.

Part 2. At the facility, there is a magnificent wood working facility that was donated by a Rotary Club in Australia and Australian Embassy. This has not yet been used by the students.We have recently received permission from the Director for us to use the facility for the students at the weekends provided we pay for the teacher. Read more

LUV Project

LUV - Laos Unexploded Ordinance Victims

This is a map of Laos, Bombs were dropped on Laos during the Vietnam war where the red dots are and they weren't officially even in the war. 30% remain un-exploded and maim hundreds of people every year. 1/3 of the country is still unusable due to .......... Read more.

COPE in Vientiane, Laos makes prosthetics for the victims of UXO. It costs around US$75 to make a leg. Donors to The Broadbeach Rotary Club and donations to the associate Global Support Association Inc and some of the associates have provided some US$20,000 to provide limbs for victims. COPE can also help with victims of ..........Read more.

Peter Kim, a victim of a UXO tells his story how at 16 his friend threw what he thought was a ball he found in the rice paddy to him. He was immediately blinded and lost his hands and part of his arms in the explosion. He is an amazing young man - he has taught himself English by a computer which has voice instructions and operates by his tongue. Here visitors from Rotary and Global Support Association listen to his amazing story and how he has not only overcome his predicament but has gone on to........ Read more.

Project #2020 Rehabilitation for Polio Victims

Project #2030 Rehabilitation and Equipment for Disabled People

Village Support - Project #3000

Project #3010 - Floating Library

The floating library is part of the CLI Project which provides Learning Centres in remote communities in Laos. This is one of the major projects of Global Hand Charity Inc. Global Support Association Inc also supports part of that project which is a floating library. This library travels up and down the Mekong from Luang Prabang providing a book library and donations of books to those communities along the river that have no access to books through any other means. Teachers go with the boat and provide games and songs for the children of the villages. Most villages don't even have road access as they are very remote. We are also trialing solar lights which can be recharged on the roof of the boat and lent out to the villages so that the books can be read at night. These lights are provided by a Gold Coast Company in Australia. Books are in Lao and the parents are also encouraged to read the books. Most books are provided through a Lao publication Company "Big Brother Mouse" and through a government publishing house in Vientiane. These publishers translate English story books into Lao and also provides books in two languages - English and Lao as well as publishing their own interesting local stories. We also provide hands on help with other local villages who are extremely poor...............Read more